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Angel Zaburtov
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The Minister of Transport Georgi Todorov fired Angel Zaburtov on Friday from the post of General Director of the State Enterprise “Port Infrastructure”, the ministry announced.
There are no reasons in the announcement, but according to sources close to the ministry, the reason is most likely the “in house” order of the state enterprise “Transport Construction and Reconstruction”. It is for BGN 350 million, which are for the deepening of the two canals to the port of TPP “Varna”, whose majority owner is Ahmed Dogan.
At that time, the chairman of the company’s board of directors was the current caretaker minister. Informed sources say that the award of this order took place behind the back of the board of directors, without their signatures.
One week ago, Finance Minister Asen Vassilev cited the Varna port project as an example of non-transparent spending. The reason – the work was assigned through an in-house order without a tender or competition directly to the state company “Transport Construction and Reconstruction”. However, it outsources the work of another company.
And on Thursday it became clear that the administrative court in Varna has overturned the refusal of the director general of the State Enterprise “Port Infrastructure” to provide information on deepening and widening of canals in Lake Varna, the press center of the institution said.
An application for access to public information was submitted on November 4, 2020 by the citizen S. C. S., who requested a copy of an agreement concluded between the State Enterprise “Port Infrastructure” and “Transport Construction and Reconstruction” (TSV) for deepening of two canals at the port of Varna and a copy of the investment project for the activities. After S. C. S. did not receive an answer, he filed a lawsuit.
The court panel returned the case as a file to the Director General of the State Enterprise “Port Infrastructure” for ruling on the application by S.C.S. In its reasons, the court stated that according to the provisions of the law every Bulgarian citizen has the right to access public information under the conditions and the order set out in it.
The state enterprise “Port Infrastructure” is supported by the budget and together with TSV EAD are public organizations, it is said in the information provided by the court in the case. The funds spent on projects and agreements were earmarked from the budget. The court panel concludes that the agreement between the State Enterprise “Port Infrastructure” and TSV EAD and the investment project are public information, as they indisputably refer to sites of national importance.
BGN 350 million of budget funds were allocated for the deepening of navigable canals in the port of Varna. The aim of the project is a complete solution to the current problems of approach and maneuvering of ships and new maneuvering zones in accordance with the investment projects of port operators located in the port of Varna, said in a government statement from August last year.
In Varna and Beloslav bays are TPP “Varna” and “Port TPP Ezerovo”, of which 70% are owned by the honorary chairman of the MRF Ahmed Dogan.
According to a publication in the Capital newspaper, after the completion of the project, the Port of Ezerovo TPP will take over grain cargoes and containers, which are now served by the state port. According to the publication, this is a business worth over BGN 60 million a year.
The Ministry of Transport then said that the state-owned Port Infrastructure Company would comply with the court’s decision to provide the requested information, but only when it received it.
Today, after Zaburtov’s dismissal, by another order Minister Todorov announced a competition for the election of general director of the state enterprise “Port Infrastructure”, according to the Law on Public Enterprises and the regulations for its implementation, the ministry announced.
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